Family Matters
by Uzofire
Summary: Naofumi struggles to balance his responsibilities as the legendary Shield Hero with his responsibilities as a husband and father. He is soon reminded that he has someone to lean on when times get tough.


"Don't put that in your mouth."

"Don't play around with the things in my workspace."

"No running down the hall, or you'll trip."

"Don't try to take the heavy things off the shelves all by yourself. Ask someone to help you."

Whenever he turned around, it seemed Naofumi was always telling his son not to something. He understood the recklessness of youth, but sometimes he felt like the boy just did things he shouldn't just to get on his nerves. It wasn't that the boy was slow on the uptake; at seven years old, Korro was quite intelligent for his age, already showing interest in swordplay and crafting, though his mother refused to let him touch any of the sharper equipment. He was also a perceptive and astute individual, having inherited his father's cunning and his mother's strong sense of justice. So the fact that he still needed to be told not to run around inside the halls was nothing short of baffling.

Just what was with that kid?

Naofumi sighed and leaned back in his chair, the dim light in his makeshift "office" casting over his face. It was really just a large, cleared-out storage closet now filled to the brim with all manner of documents, tools, dried herbs, rare minerals, and elixirs he had yet to perfect. Raphtalia had always made her annoyance at such a cramped and messy area clear, saying that it wasn't fit for a middle-class merchant, much less the Shield Hero himself. He supposed he could always move into one of the more spacious rooms in the house, but there was something about this little room that endeared him. It reminded him of days gone past, when small, cramped rooms like this were all he had to do his work, and he'd be lucky if anyone allowed him to use even that much.

Now, though, he didn't doubt that any number of villagers would trip over themselves trying to offer him their luxurious quarters. _Enough about that. _Naofumi shook himself out of his recollections. _What am I going to do with him?_

Maybe one of those father-son talks were in order. He imagined sitting the boy down, raising his index finger in a matter-of-fact way, and explaining to him all about the "dos" and "don'ts" of the Iwatani household.

It made him cringe just thinking about it. Naofumi reached over and attempted to pluck a document from the top of a tall stack on his desk. As soon as his hand touched it, the entire stack tipped over and scattered its contents everywhere. He sighed. "Maybe I should let Raphtalia handle this one," he muttered, picking up a stray document that had fluttered to the ground. "_She's_ the disciplinarian parent."

"Oh? Is that how you see me when it comes to our children?"

Naofumi blinked, startled, and turned in his chair to see his wife leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and a small, amused smile gracing her face.

"Am I wrong?" he asked in response. "You take their training way more seriously than I do, especially when it comes to swordsmanship." She may not allow Korro or Saori around the metal swords, but that didn't mean they couldn't use wooden ones. "Matter of fact, I like to think of myself as the laid-back parent. Those kids can go wild if they want to. Experience is the best teacher, I say."

"Right, you're the 'laid-back' parent. Which explains why you always seem to be hovering over Korro's shoulder, telling him to slow down in the hallways and not to eat this or that." Raphtalia's light sarcasm never ceased to amuse Naofumi, especially since she could only have gotten it from him. However, this brought them to the heart of the issue.

"He knocked over the spice jar the other day," Naofumi mused.

"He _is _a seven-year-old child."

"Yeah, except I could've sworn he looked straight at me right before he did it." Scratching the back of his head, Naofumi turned back to his desk. He gestured to the pile of strewn documents. "I don't have time to be following him around and scolding him," he said. "There's a lot we still have to do here in the village. You know that one of the royal couriers came the other day with a message from the palace? Apparently, they want—"

"To officially recognize the village as a city of Melromarc's," Raphtalia finished for him. "I've read that part of the message."

Naofumi's head-scratching turned uncharacteristically sheepish. "Well yeah, that and…something else."

Raphtalia's smile became sympathetic. "Yes, I've read that part of the message, too."

"It's still up for discussion, obviously," Naofumi said hastily, gathering his papers in order to give himself something to do, as well as keep him from having to face Raphtalia. "And of course, your input will be welcomed and appreciated."

"I'd already given my input on the subject," was her only response. Her footsteps echoed as she walked over to stand behind his chair. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But that is a conversation for another time. Tell me, what do you propose we do about Korro?"

Silently grateful for the subject change, Naofumi chose to give a noncommittal shrug. "What else _can _we do? The old lecture routine isn't working, that's for sure. It doesn't help that I need to head to Zeltoble tomorrow to work out the situation there."

"You were in Siltvelt two days ago," Raphtalia protested. "And in Q'ten Lo three days before that. And in Faubley three days before _that._ You may be a Hero, but you're still human. It wouldn't hurt to rest for a little while."

"Wish I could, but this sort of thing can't wait even a few days. Politics are a pain, but somebody's gotta do them. …Did I really just say that? Besides, you know how my shield works. We can save locations, so I can be there and back in the time it takes to blink twice. It's not a big deal." He'd meant for this to sound reassuring, for Raphtalia to be put at ease. But instead, she said nothing. Naofumi looked over at her curiously to find that she was staring at the ground. Her grip on his shoulder had tightened. Naofumi knew that look. "Raphtalia…?"

"It _is_ a big deal, to him." Her voice was nothing more than a quiet whisper.

"Who?" Naofumi asked, trying to understand.

In response, Raphtalia turned and exited the room. Naofumi waited, somewhat tense, unsure of the outcome his words had brought about. A minute went by. Then two. Just as Naofumi thought Raphtalia had ended their conversation completely, the sound of her footsteps returned. Raphtalia came to stand by him once again, only this time she held a folded piece of parchment in her right hand. She held it out to him. Warily, Naofumi accepted the paper and unfolded it.

Inside was the wide, messy scrawl of a child's handwriting. Naofumi's lips curved into a half-smile. _He needs to work on that. _But his smile soon faded as he scanned the parchment.

_We talked about the Holy Heroes in class today. Miss Rika asked us which Hero we look up to the most. Everybody got real loud after that, arguing and stuff about which Hero was the best. Me, I stayed quiet. I already know, without a doubt, that the greatest and strongest Hero of all is my Dad. He's always working hard, and everyone in the village go to him to help them with their problems. He acts grumpy sometimes, but I know he doesn't mind. But now he's always going somewhere. Sometimes he just comes home and leaves a few hours later! One time, I spilled the spices in the jar from the kitchen, and Dad got mad. But then he stayed with me to clean it all up. Took an hour, but we got to talk a little. It was nice. I don't know why he travels so much, but I guess it's kind of important. So that's why when I grow up, I'm gonna be a Hero, too. Then I can help him and Mom out, and he won't have to work as hard. Then we can play together like we used to. All of us._

Naofumi read the message twice over. He then raised his eyes to Raphtalia, who stared back at him with a neutral expression. He wondered how long it had taken him to realize that this was what she'd been trying to lead up to since the start of their conversation. "When did he write this?" he breathed.

"Last night, right before bed. He was asleep when I noticed it, half tucked under his pillow."

"And you took it?"

"If he really didn't want me to find it, he wouldn't have left it only partially concealed under his pillow, of all places," Raphtalia replied, which was true enough. Korro was smarter than that.

Naofumi looked down at the writing again. He thought back to the past few weeks, and suddenly his son's actions were painted in a new light. "He's doing it because he wants my attention?"

Raphtalia nodded sagely. "In the end, that's the motive behind most children's actions. I do my share of traveling, but not nearly as often as you do. He's just a boy who misses hanging out with his father. Can you blame him for doing what he does?"

Naofumi rubbed a hand against his forehead. "No, but what about all of this?" He held up a small stack of letters, both opened and unopened, having taken them from the floor this time. "I _want _to have a chance to relax with my family, but we can't just put all this stuff on hold. Maybe back when we were traveling around Melromarc, nobody cared what we were up to, but that isn't how it works anymore. Even right now, I've only gotten through half of these things." He tossed the letters onto his desk in contempt. He hadn't realized the truth of his words until they were spoken aloud, but now that they had been, Naofumi realized that the frustration he'd been feeling earlier wasn't entirely because of Korro. He was equal parts frustrated at _himself. _He'd never even bothered with politics and negotiations until they'd begun to affect his village directly. Now he was neck-deep in alliances and treaties and arrangements with leaders of all sorts. It was _annoying. _What's worse, it kept him from being able to have a simple afternoon working on elixirs and teaching crafting to his kids. Naofumi realized with dismay that he'd probably had more freedom back when everyone hated him.

But still, he had to keep going. He knew that with every arrangement that was struck, his village stood to benefit. And when his village gained, so did his son and daughter. So did his wife, whom he knew was still watching him with her usual cool expression, one eyebrow raised. He used to only do things when it benefitted himself, but now, everything he did was for them. He knew it'll all be worth it one day, but when will that day come? "So what do you think I should do, then?" he grumbled.

Raphtalia said nothing for a while. Naofumi was wondering if their conversation really _was _over this time, when all of a sudden he heard the bright, clear sound of Raphtalia's laughter. He looked over his shoulder, unamused. She was, indeed, chuckling. "Something funny? I thought you were angry with me just now."

Raphtalia put one hand over her chest, and the other over his. She was smiling genuinely this time. "I was never angry with you. And I think the solution is clear," she said. She gestured to the heaps of letters and papers laying about. "You say you haven't even gone through half of all this, right? So let me take the other half."

Naofumi blinked. "I'm not following."

"I mean, let me share your burden. I've been taking care of the village in your stead, in case you haven't noticed. I'm just as well-versed in political affairs as you are, Naofumi. Let me be the one to go to Zeltoble tomorrow. I trust you can handle things in the village just fine." Raphtalia waited patiently for Naofumi to voice his opposition. And voice it he did.

He stood. "I appreciate that, Raphtalia, I really do, but this is something the Shield Hero has to take care of." It wasn't a matter of pride, but a matter of practicality. "What would the world leaders think if the Shield Hero suddenly started sending his wife to deal with them in his place? What if they see it as weakness or cowardice and try to use that as an excuse to back out of business dealings?" He began to pace, and Raphtalia still watched him. "I know how these guys are, Raphtalia. Some of them are decent, but the rest are scheming and plotting behind our backs, even now. It's all I can do to keep them in line."

"I can handle them," she replied easily.

"But—"

"Naofumi." Raphtalia made to stand in front of him, forcing his pacing to come to a halt. She looked up at him, her face determined, but also compassionate. "We are more than just party members. We are more than just the Shield Hero and his Sword. We are more than just husband and wife. We are two halves of the same whole. Anywhere you go, I follow. Do you remember when I said that?"

"…I remember." Naofumi responded quietly.

"Good, because that still holds true, even now. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. I have to be, in order to stand by you. You've helped me countless times. Now let me help _you. _You, our children, and our village. We are equals, you and I. Your workload is mine as well, and forgive me for saying so, but I won't take no for an answer." Raphtalia folded her arms again, the very picture of tenacity. Naofumi knew that she really _wouldn't _take no for an answer. She'd find a way to go around his orders and do exactly what she wanted. And right now, all she wanted was to help him.

They stared at each other for a few more moments, then it was Naofumi's turn to laugh. Or rather, chuckle. He stepped forward and drew her into a hug. It seemed the answer had been clear after all. "What would I do without you, Raphtalia?"

"A lot of deplorable things, for sure," she said, hugging him back. He let go, eventually, but instead of stepping away, he pressed his forehead to hers.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"I believe I've already given my opinion on the subject," was her reply.

Naofumi could only agree. "Fair enough." They separated, and Naofumi placed one hand on his hip as he gazed about the room. It really was a mess. "So, what should we do first?"

At this, Raphtalia's gentle smile became mischievous. Before he had time to react, she leaned forward and kissed him. Then she strolled over to the doorway. "_I _am going to get ready for my trip to Zeltoble," she called over her shoulder. "_You, _on the other hand, will go and put Korro and Saori to bed. I promised I'd tell him a story, too. Don't forget." With that, she was gone.

Naofumi blinked, stunned. It seemed no matter what happened, Raphtalia would always be the only person who could catch him off-guard. "Right," he said, trying rapidly to compose himself. Given that they were married, this sort of thing happened often. And yet, he never got tired of the feeling, of the rush of warmth and happiness it gave him. He felt more at ease, now. Whatever happened, he had Raphtalia by his side. And as long as that was true, there was nothing this world or any other that could stand in their way.

* * *

Night had fallen. Naofumi could see the black, star-filled sky through the windows of the main living room. Raphtalia would be well on her way to Zeltoble by now. Nodding to himself, he climbed the stairs up to the second floor, where his kids' rooms were. He decided to put Saori to bed first, and the six-year-old proved to be no problem, laughing and giggling the entire time. When she'd finally drifted off, Naofumi eased the door shut and made his way down the hall to Korro's room. He couldn't help but feel amused at the look of surprise on his son's face as he stepped inside. Korro's fuzzy auburn ears shot up, and he gave his father a wide-eyed stare. "Dad?"

"Your one and only," Naofumi replied.

"But, aren't you supposed to be going on a trip tomorrow? And what about Mom?"

Naofumi dismissed these concerns with a way of his hand as he sat at the foot of the bed. "Change of plans. Your mother's going out, and I will stay here and tell you a story. Any one you want."

"You're…gonna tell me a story?" Korro repeated slowly. There was curiosity but also suspicion in his eyes. Naofumi wondered if he was trying to find a catch to the deal. In a way, there was one.

"That's right," he confirmed. "Whatever you want to know about your old man's past, I'll tell it to you. _If,_" he held up a finger mock-menacingly, "and _only _if you stop messing around with things in the house. Deal?"

Korro at least had the decency to look sheepish, and he nodded. "Deal."

Naofumi ruffled his son's hair. "Good."

Korro could never be down for long, however, and in no time the boy perked right up again. "You said _any _story I want, right? Any one at all?"

Naofumi suddenly regretted ever telling him that. There was something in Korro's tone that made him hesitate to agree, even though he knew he'd already given his permission. Regardless though, Naofumi had already given his word, and he had to stick to it. So, eyeing his son warily, he nodded. "Yes. Anything. Did you…have one in mind already?"

Korro gave him a bright smile, and in that moment it was almost as if Raphtalia were in the room with Naofumi, ready to catch him off-guard again. "Then can you tell me about the time that Spear Hero guy tried to attack you and use his weird spear on Filo?'

Naofumi realized he'd tensed up as he waited for the verdict, and he relaxed his shoulders. So Korro just wanted another action story after all, as would any boy his age. No big deal. Naofumi tilted his head a little as he searched his memory. "You're gonna have to be a bit more specific," he told Korro. "That guy used a _lot _of 'weird spears'. What did it look like?"

Korro's brow furrowed. "Well…Filo said it looked kinda like…"

He hesitated, uncertain. Naofumi nodded encouragingly. Korro then reached over to the little desk at the side of his bed and snatched a pen and paper. He started to sketch. Naofumi tried to see what it was, but Korro held the parchment tightly to him and didn't give his father so much as a peek. So Naofumi settled with waiting. He didn't have to wait long.

Korro flipped the page and held it up for his father to see. "This."

For five whole seconds, Naofumi could do nothing but stare in shock. Then—

"FILO! WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN TELLING MY SON?!"

* * *

**You probably know which spear he's talking about XD **

**This takes place in my **_**The Lost Heir **_**universe, even if the story itself is still being revamped. I also don't think Naofumi is the kind of person to watch his profanity around a child, though he probably puts in a little more effort around his own kids. Not today though.**


End file.
